


Sentence Starters & Tumblr Tales

by Nativestar



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Episode Related, Episode: s03e01 Improvise, Found Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Torture, drugged, sandbox
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27560440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar
Summary: A collection of ficlets and flashfics orginally posted on Tumblr, all bar one from the sentence starter prompts.
Comments: 34
Kudos: 21





	1. Dictate

**Author's Note:**

> mischiellis requested: “You can’t dictate what’s best for someone else.”
> 
> Set between season 2 and 3.

Wise words.

Jack has heard them many times, in various versions over the years. Most recently from Matty Webber.

She’d caught him watching the satellite feed. Again. He isn’t even going to try and defend himself this time. Mac’s been coughing. No wonder with all the smoke in Mexico and running himself into the ground for months to find his father. It was bound to catch up at some point. Jack just needed to check up on him.

(It’s more than that.)

Jack wants to get on a jet, go over there and drag Mac home. He knows everyone is surprised that he hasn’t already. He knows Mac’s making a mistake, tells Matty as much too, and he aches to tell Mac. Tell him he belongs with his family. His real family. Not the one that walked out on him all those years ago.

But he doesn’t.

Because you can’t dictate what’s best for someone else.

He wants to shout it at James. Punctuate every word with a punch.

But he knows that won’t help neither.

So he watches.

Hopes.

And smiles when Mac smiles.


	2. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Sky Larking: “You don’t have to talk, we can just sit together.”
> 
> Set season 4 just after 4x09 Code + Artemis + Nuclear + N3mesis

When Mac disappears, everyone tries to appear unconcerned. He’s entitled to some space after all.

The charade doesn’t last long before Bozer’s pacing, Desi and Russ are talking about search parties and even Matty is looking concerned. Mac’s phone is switched off but Riley doesn’t mention the software she secretly installed on it. She doesn’t admit that he’d need to completely destroy it for Riley to not be able to find him.

Besides, it’s no guarantee that Mac even _has_ his phone on him.

At least until Riley sees the address that flashes on her screen and knows without a shred of doubt that she will find Mac there.

Mac doesn’t need an intervention, just a friend.

* * *

Riley lets herself into Jack’s apartment. The alarm isn’t set but other than that there’s no sign that anyone has been here in a long while. It’s silent and still and smells somewhat stale. If— _when_ Jack gets back, they’ll need to open some windows, air out the place.

Maybe she _was_ wrong, maybe Mac just left his phone here.

The lights are off, and Riley leaves them that way, she doesn’t need more than the twilight to navigate here.

She finds him in the guest bedroom, except she can tell from the familiar improvised clutter around the room that it’s really Mac’s bedroom. He’s sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, looking out the window, although Riley’s certain he’s not seeing anything but the nightmares in his head.

“Hey Mac,” She says softly, sitting down next to him. Their shoulders just barely touching. He doesn’t acknowledge her, but his next breath is slightly deeper, as if he’s coming back to himself.

“I didn’t think anyone would think to look here.” Mac says. His voice is thick and gravelly.

Riley simply shrugged. She wasn’t going to let Mac in on her secret. Just in case.

“I, uh... I didn’t-- I couldn’t--”

Riley reaches across, and puts her hand over his.

“You don’t have to talk, we can just sit together.”

They don’t need to talk and they don’t need to fix anything or hack anything. Neither of them needs to have all the answers tonight.

They’re not alone and that’s all they need.


	3. Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by macrileyedits and flowing-river24 : ""Don’t go. Please."
> 
> Set post season 4.

Riley waits until it’s just the two of them left in the war room.

“Don’t go. Please.” The words spill out without her permission, flat and with no conviction. They had to be said, even though she knows it won’t, _c_ _a_ _n’t_ change anything. She needs Mac to go, just as much as she wants him to stay. There is only the illusion of choice because they are three days in and out of options.

“Riley.” Mac says gently. “You heard them, if I don’t go, they’ll kill him.”

“I know.”

They all saw the video, Jack beaten and bloody and barely hanging on even as he begged Mac not to do it, knowing the punishment he’d get in return. She can’t believe Mac talked them into actually letting him go and she wonders if it’ll be Mac’s beaten and bloody face she’ll see next.

Mac insisted on doing this, because it’s _Jack._ But Riley knows that’s not entirely true. Although there’s nothing Mac wouldn’t do for Jack, he’d also do this for Bozer or Matty or some stranger he met two minutes ago. It’s just who he is.

Either way it doesn’t seem fair, and letting Mac go feels like losing both of them. They’re relying too much on Mac pulling off one of his miracles of science and saving both himself and Jack. One day that won’t be enough.

_Please don’t let it be today._

She looks at Mac, trying to capture every detail, from his bright eyes to his soft, sad smile. He’s tired and with the weight of the world on his shoulders and bruises scuffing his face, he doesn’t look like the big damn hero that most people will never realise he is.

She cups his face in her hands.

“Come back.” She whispers. “Both of you.”

“Riles,” He sighs and closes his eyes. Mac doesn’t make promises he can’t keep. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all I’m asking.” Riley says, and rising up onto her toes she presses a quick kiss to his forehead before wrapping him in a hug. His arms slide around her back and she can feel the light tremors in his body. He’s just as scared as she is, and she wants to ask him again, to not go.

But that’s not an option.

It was never an option.


	4. Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by erinsworld: "I wish I could hate you"
> 
> Set after 3x22 but before everything starts falling apart, Jack gets a three day leave to visit.

At first Mac’s all smiles and hugs but then he’s distant, letting the others take over and commandeer Jack’s attention. Mac steps back and its like there’s a void between them that Jack cannot cross. He makes sure he’s never alone with Jack and attaches himself to Desi most of the time, using her as a buffer to any meaningful conversation. _Mac and Desi._ Jack’s still not sure if that’s a good thing or not, but he can see how Mac’s smiles come a little easier when she’s around so he’s going to go with good for now.

It feels a lot like when Mac came back after three months in Nigeria but reversed. So Jack thinks he knows what’s going on, he can’t blame Mac for not wanting to welcome him back with open arms when he _knows_ he’s leaving again. But they figured it out last time, they can do it again. Except Jack doesn’t have a lot of time for them to find their footing again, he has three days. That’s it.

In the evening, they’re all sat around the firepit, beers in hand and bellies awaiting the pizza delivery when Jack lets slip that its looking likely it’ll be a while before they catch Kovacs and because the taskforce has already eliminated some other key players, there’s also talk of keeping it going, even after they succeed in their initial objective. Jack could kick himself, because they’d been having a good time until Jack gave them the awkward reminder of what no one wants to think about, but the worst reaction is from Mac.

Mac just stands and walks away.

So Jack follows.

He finds Mac in the kitchen, standing in front of the fridge, one hand leaning on it, but he hasn’t even opened the door yet.

“You alright?” Jack almost winces, because its such a stupid question and he already knows which answer he’s going to get.

“I’m fine.”

Yep, there it is. Okay. Try again.

“I don’t think you are, because I’m kinda feeling a little like you hate me right now.” Jack says tentatively, trying to see where honesty gets him.

Mac’s laugh is both short and harsh and Jack really does wince this time.

“I don’t hate you. I _wish_ I could hate you.” Mac says and falls back to lean on the fridge, making Jack wonder if he should have paid more attention to how many beers Mac’s had this evening. Especially as Jack suspects the alcohol has loosened Mac’s tongue, allowing the anger to spill out.

“You told me for years _, years_ , that you wouldn’t leave. That as long as you were around I had a family. And then you leave, like\--.” Mac swallows, and Jack hates that there’s too many names for him to fill the gap with.

“But you’re still you. You left to try and take out someone who’s hurt lots of people, you’re still a good man, and you’re still my friend, so I can’t even hate you for it. And I hate that. And I hate this--” Mac waves his hand between them “--tension or whatever between us.”

“So… you hate that you can’t hate me for leaving.”

“Sounds ridiculous when you say it like that.” Mac mutters, his lips turning up in a shadow of smile at Jack’s phrasing.

“It isn’t ridiculous, I hate it too, man.”

“I know you do.” Mac sighs.

I t’s a no - win situation. Jack doesn’t know what to say. He’s known for a while now that he’s done the wrong thing for the right reasons. But he can’t fix it, not until Kovacs is captured or killed. Reassurance that this is temporary is  t he only thing he can offer Mac right now.

“I’m not cutting you out of my life, kid. You’re stuck with me. I’m not going rogue and I’m not going to get myself killed. I’m coming back, Mac.”

“When?” Mac challenges.

But  Jack can’t answer that  a nd Mac knows it. He’s stuck, he signed up for this and there’s no way out until Kovac s is caught.

“As soon as I can.” He finishes lamely. “I know that’s not good enough, but it’s the best I can do.”

M ac sighs  and bangs a clenched fist against the fridge.  He ’s carrying a lot of anger these days and  mostly it spills out to his dad  and Mason (and evidently  Jack ) ,  but Jack worries he’s keeping the majority of it for himself.

“I know. These are my issues not yours.” Mac says.

“Yeah, but don’t forget that I’ve also told you for years that your problems _are_ my problems.”

Mac meets his eyes and once upon a time there wouldn’t have been a hint of doubt in them, it breaks Jack heart that he can see it now.

Suddenly, there’s a roar of laughter from the decking and Riley’s voice exclaiming “Bozer!” that makes both of them turn their heads.

“They’ll be wondering where we are.” Mac points out.

And yeah, they will, but they also know when to give them some space so Jack isn’t too worried about that. But this conversation is heading into deep waters and its not one to be had standing in front of the refrigerator where an interruption is just one empty bottle away.

“You still got a six pack in there?” Jack asks.

“Yeah.” Mac confirms, confused.

“Good, grab it.” Jack tells him and heads for the front door, grabbing the keys to his Shelby from the counter, confident that Mac will follow him.

“Where are we going Jack?”

“Anywhere, nowhere.” Jack shrugs. “Doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Mac meets his eyes and for the first time since Jack’s been back, it feels like they’re on the same wavelength.

“No, I guess it doesn’t.” Mac agrees and smiles softly, closing the door behind him.

They’ll find their footing again. And it won’t even take them three days to do it.


	5. Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by waitingforthestarstofall: “I’ve got your back, okay?"

Someone once asked Mac in the middle of a tale entertaining everyone about the rocky start to their working relationship, how long it was before he started trusting Jack.

And Mac replied with a story about two bullets and four insurgents.

But that wasn’t entirely true. He’d trusted Jack to watch his back, literally, but Mac was much more cautious about who he let in, who he trusted absolutely. Very few people were allowed in all the way. For a long while it was just Bozer.

Jack had always been a slightly different story. After diffusing a bomb with less than a minute on the clock, Jack trusted Mac to _do_ just about anything. After 64 days he realised he trusted him with just about everything.

It hadn’t taken Mac much longer though...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ Afghanistan 2011 _

It hadn’t been Mac’s first firefight. It hadn’t even been the first time he’d lost someone out here. But it _had_ been brutally intense. And bloody. And overwhelming. It had shook Jack and he had a lot more miles under his belt. It had also been the first time Jack had wondered if he was going to regret signing up for another tour, swiftly followed by the moment he realised he’d made the right decision as he yanked Mac out of the path of a bullet.

So when he heard that Mac had missed his debriefing and nobody had seen him for a while, he cursed himself for not keeping a closer eye on the kid and went searching.

Jack found him in a storage room. He was perched on a crate, arms crossed over his knees and head resting on top. When Mac looked up his face was pale and blotchy, but Jack swore there was a look of relief before Mac closed up and became unreadable.

“So this is where you’re hiding.” Jack said to break the ice as he walked over, it didn’t work and Mac looked away without answering.

He was in a t-shirt and Jack could see the goosebumps on his bare arms so he slipped off his jacket and put it around Mac’s shoulders. Surprisingly, Mac didn’t react but after a moment he moved and pushed his arms through the sleeves before wrapping his arms around himself.

_Aww, kid._

Jack want ed to grab him in a hug, hold him until that empty look fade d out of his eyes but he  was  equally worried that if he trie d that Mac might bolt.  He sat down next to him and  compromise d with a hand on his shoulder,  pleased when Mac neither tense d no r shrug ged him off.

“I’m okay.” Mac mumbled. “I just-- I sat down and… I couldn’t make myself get up again.”

T here wa s a  crate of bottled water on the shelf near Jack’s head and he reache d over and snag ged one, twisting the cap off as he hand ed it to Mac.

“Small sips.” He commanded. Mac’s hand was shaking as he took a sip, and Mac frowned at it. 

“Its shock. It’ll pass.”

“I’m fine.” Mac insisted, even as his body was betraying him.

“No, you’re not. But you will be.”

Mac glared at him. But Jack had been there. done that and got the t-shirt. He knew what he was talking about.

“It’s alright to need a moment, Mac.” They’d lost two people today, even more were injured, some seriously. Hell, it wasn’t just Mac who needed a moment. Even Jack was starting to appreciate the quiet, calmness of the storage room.

“You did good today.” Jack said.

“Didn’t do much.” Mac replied, raising one shoulder in a shrug, his gaze now on the ground.

“Not with your EOD expertise, but you kept your head and you helped that kid, Casey.”

There’d been so much blood that Jack had been afraid they’d both been hit at first. Casey was a couple of years older than Mac, but that had been stripped away by fear and pain. Mac had talked to him constantly, reassured him as he tried to control the bleeding. Mac was the reason they hadn’t lost more people out there today.

“He died before they could get him to surgery.” Mac said quietly.

_Shit._

Jack closed his eyes for a moment and took a long slow breath. It never got any easier.

“I’m sorry, kiddo.”

Jack slid his arm around Mac’s shoulders and although it was slight, Mac relaxed into the touch.

“Want to talk about it?” Jack offered, knowing the answer already but still needing to say it.

Mac shook his head.

“I know I’ve told you a bit about my history, Mac. You know this isn’t the first time a mission’s gone bad on me, so if you do want to talk about it, day or night, you come find me, alright? My door’s always open.”

“You don’t have a door, Jack.”

“You know what I mean, smartass.”

Mac nodded and took another sip of water.

“I’m serious dude, even if it’s ass o’clock in the morning and I’m running on two hours sleep.”

“I got it, Jack.” Mac reassured, this time with a small smile.

“ You know,  I’m proud of you.”  Jack said, he wasn’t sure why he said it, not that it wasn’t true but there was something about Mac today, about the look in his eyes, that made Jack want to be sure he really  _ knew _ that. But he wasn’t sure that Mac was listening as he shifted, using a stretch to hide him subtly shrugging Jack’s arm off his shoulders.

“I was scared.” Mac said quietly. And Jack was reminded that despite what Mac had seen out here and for all Mac could do, he was still just a kid. Just like Casey.

“We were all scared, pal.”

“Jack--”

“I’m not saying that to make you feel better, Mac. It’s the truth. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Or need to speak to a shrink.”

Suddenly, Jack’s radio squawked, their CO demanding if Dalton knew where Specialist Macgyver was right now.

“ _Shit_. How long have I been in here?” Mac asked, shoving his sleeve back to see his watch. Jack put a hand on his arm, keeping him in place as he hit the button on the radio to talk.

“Yes sir, I’m with him now. It’s my fault, I told him the wrong time for the debrief. I’ll send him over straight away.”

Jack waited for the acknowledgement then switched the radio off.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Mac said, confused and frowning slightly.

Jack fixed him with a look. “I’ve got your back, okay?” He said. “And not just when we’re out in the field. You get that, right?”

Mac nodded standing and as he handed Jack back his jacket, there was a look in his eyes, like he was assessing or analysing Jack and it surprised Jack how much it mattered to him that he didn’t come up short in Mac’s eyes.

H e hoped he never would.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that day, things went a little differently.

Mac was more open with Jack. He talked about home more, and about Bozer a lot. Mac still argued with him but he didn’t fight him as much on the things Jack considered essential to surviving another day. And Jack never had to go searching for him in any more storage rooms, because the following night he found Mac waiting on his bunk to talk.

Later, Jack realised what the change was.

After eighty nine days, Mac trusted him with just about everything.

  
  



	6. Let Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by impossiblepluto: "Let me do this for you, please."
> 
> Set season 4, post 4x08 Father + Son + Father + Matriarch

He’s been here for over two hours already, and he’s filled one solitary cardboard box. It’s not the enormity of packing up his father’s apartment, there’s really not that much here, its the task itself. He keeps getting lost in his own thoughts and he’s just wasted the last twenty minutes watching rivulets of rain on the window.

He tells himself he’s looking for important things. Intel on Codex and highly classified dossiers that should not fall into the wrong hands. But really, he’s looking for evidence of a different kind.

Photos.

Personal effects.

Anything that’s about family not work.

Instead its barren. Entirely functional and devoid of anything personal, like a safe house, not a home. Somewhere to sleep and shower and maybe eat a meal before you were on your way again. Or is it? Mac finds himself questioning every item he sees. Is this book on the table because it was the last thing he was reading? Or is there a secret message hidden inside the pages? Everything was a lesson with his old man, and even as he hates him for it, he also doesn’t want to miss a final one.

There’s a dirty plate and mug in the sink. Its such a normal thing, something regular people do all the time, that Mac stares at them, imaging what happened that morning, did he leave when he heard the news about the bombs or was it when Matty called?

Mac knows he should have asked for help with this, every single one of his friends would have dropped everything to come help and they’d probably be nearly done by now if he had. But he just couldn’t do this with an audience. Pity and sympathy are not things he wants right now.

He hears the door open behind him, followed by footsteps. It’s not the heavy boots he wants to hear, but soft shoes instead. He closes his eyes and holds perfectly still, he doesn’t like feeling like this, as if he’s glass about to shatter. He’s barely breathing when a warm hand carefully grips his arm. It makes him shiver, he hadn’t realised how cold it was in here until he felt that warmth through his shirt sleeve.

He opens his eyes and sees Bozer standing next to him. There’s concern in his eyes, but not pity and in his other hand he’s holding an empty cardboard box.

“Let me do this for you, please,” Bozer asks.

 _I’m fine_ is on the tip of his tongue, but it never makes it out, he takes a breath and finds himself nodding instead.

This isn’t the Phoenix, or the hunt for Codex or super secret spy stuff. This is his best friend, helping him pack up his father’s apartment.

Mac sits on his father’s armchair. Later, he’ll donate it to an outreach programme, but for now, he just sits, and watches Bozer work.

He watches the raindrops continue falling down the window as the tears start falling from his eyes.

  
  



	7. Explain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by kaykay8776: “Let me explain!”

“Done.”

Jack watches Mac connect a wire and a red light starts flashing on the side of… whatever Mac’s cobbled together out of a broken radio and the random items he grabbed as they were fleeing the enemy compound.

“It’s a homing beacon. If Riley’s listening – and she will be – they’ll be able to pin point our position.” Mac explains as he lets his head fall back to rest against the tree he’s propped up against. He’s pale and exhausted and there’s a tremor in his hands that he can no longer hide but he still manages a reassuring smile for Jack.

“How long?” Jack asks as he looks at the knife wound on Mac’s leg, it’s already bled through one pressure bandage but thankfully the second one is still clean.

“Hours.” Mac shrugs. “We haven’t even missed our check in yet.”

“So now we...”

“Hurry up and wait.”

Mac suddenly looks spent, the last of his adrenaline reserves expended on making sure they’d be found. It’s dusk now and there’s a chill in the air, and at this time of year they don’t have long before its fully dark.

“You should get some rest.” Jack suggests and helps Mac shuffle away from the tree so he can lay down. Mac doesn’t resist or protest so Jack figures he’s probably feeling about as good as he looks right now. He wishes he had more to offer Mac than a forest floor and his company, a blanket or a fully stocked first aid kit would be amazing right about now.

Jack stays sitting, leaning back against the tree like Mac had been, although he’s not sure why, the bad guys are all dead and there’s no wild animal in this forest capable of doing them any harm. He’s pretty tired himself and it only takes a couple of shivers from Mac who’s clearly still awake and uncomfortable on his back before Jack makes a decision.

“Shift over.”

Mac hesitates for only a second before he’s awkwardly turning onto his right side, his movements stiff and painful. While this isn’t a regular occurrence they’ve had to do it enough times that Mac knows what Jack’s planning. He crosses his arms across his chest, whether for warmth or comfort, Jack isn’t sure.

Jack unclips his tac vest and leans it against the tree before lying down behind Mac, close enough that Mac’s body heat immediately starts warming him through his cotton shirt. He keeps his gun between them, within close reach, because he’s learnt the hard way that he’s never really off duty, no matter how safe things appear. He wraps his left arm over Mac, and he can’t resist sliding his fingers down to find the pulse point on Mac’s wrist. It’s a little on the fast side, but its nothing alarming.

“Mm’okay” Mac slurs, already on the edge of sleep.

“I know. Get some rest.” Jack says quietly. He releases his hold on Mac’s wrist and rubs his arm in reassurance before relaxing, holding Mac’s forearm in a lose grip.

Holding Mac like this, Jack can feel each steady breath he takes and he idly wonders which one of them is finding this more comforting. Jack tucks his nose into the back of Mac’s neck and drifts off to join Mac in slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack wakes up at dawn to the sound of someone’s footsteps crunching through the leaves. His free hand inches towards his gun but then he relaxes, he’d recognise those black boots anywhere. Following the legs up to the owner, he finds Riley, with her phone out, snapping a photo with fond amusement on her face. She grins when she notices Jack’s awake but thankfully stays silent, as much as he’s glad to see her, he really couldn’t care less how adorable she thinks they look. Mac is still sleeping peacefully in his arms and he doesn’t want to wake him any sooner than necessary. Besides, Jack is basking in a sleepy lethargy, and he’s a lot warmer here than he will be once he loses his human furnace.

Riley quietly crouches down next to them, she’s noticed the bandage on Mac’s leg and all humour has disappeared.

“You guys okay?” She whispers.

“More or less.” Jack whispers back. “Mac’s the ‘less’ part. Got a bad wound on his leg, lost a fair bit of blood, but otherwise okay.”

Mac stirs at their voices and Jack barely resists the urge to shush him back to sleep. He sleepily opens his eyes and realises he’s basically cuddling with Jack at the same time as he notices Riley crouched in front of him. He startles and groans in pain as the movement jostles his leg, trying to escape Jack’s arms. Jack would be offended at his embarrassment if he didn’t know him so well. Mac wouldn’t normally allow this kind of comfort and never in front of others, even Riley. He’s endearingly self conscious.

“Let me explain!” Mac splutters as he continues to wriggle ineffectively. Jack gently tightens his hold and its telling that it doesn’t take much effort before Mac’s relaxing back against him.

“It’s okay, Mac. Riley knows it got real cold overnight.”

“Yeah.” Riley smiles. “And I promise not to tell anyone how adorable you two looked, if you promise to let me keep the photo.”

“Photo?!” Mac exclaims.

“Deal.” Jack says quickly, knowing if Riley seriously wanted to keep the photo there really wouldn’t be anyway of stopping her.

Riley nods, the smile never leaving her face.

“Exfil’s a minute or two behind me, lets get you two out of here and back home.”


	8. Well, Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by starryhc: "Well, shit."

Mac blinks lazily, as the world slips hazily in and out of focus. He’s on the floor in a bare room. Four walls, a concrete floor and a closed door. His thoughts skitter over his mind like insects on the surface of water, never staying still long enough to make sense. Something is _wrong,_ that much he does know. He digs for a memory, something, anything, that he can anchor himself to and start figuring this out.

He remembers eating pizza in front of his fire pit. There’s an itch of a memory that tells him there’s a missing mission between then and now but the harder he tries to recall it the further it slips away.

Mac sits up and for a moment he could swear that he’s on a boat as the floor shifts beneath him, causing him to throw out a hand for balance before he realises its his own dizziness and vertigo instead.

"Well, shit."

This isn’t a head injury, he knows he’s drugged, but whether it was used to initially subdue him or is now being used to control him, or loosen his tongue, he’s not sure. He hates not knowing and the vulnerability it causes and he wishes Jack was here as much as he hopes he’s mounting a rescue to come bursting through the door any second _now_.

“Hey, hoss.”

Mac whips his head around to see Jack blinking himself awake and upright behind him. So much for a rescue. How had he missed Jack?

Oh yeah.

Drugged.

“Jack, you okay?” He croaks and clears his throat.

“Peachy.” Jack says, as he checks himself and winces when his hand finds a tender spot on his head. “You?”

“Yeah. Just drugged.” Jack’s head whips around to focus on him. “I don’t remember what happened, but I’m okay otherwise.” Mac quickly reassures, stretching the truth. Jack looks sceptical but he must be doing a half-way decent job of looking okay because Jack lets it go for now.

“What happened?” Mac asks, trying to distract Jack away from him and back to their situation.

“Does it make a difference?”

Probably not, Mac agrees with a silent tip of his head.

“Long story short, the mission went FUBAR, we got caught, now we just need to escape. How about I fill in the details in for you when we’re safe and sound on the exfil flight?”

“Sounds good.”

Mac is more than ready to get out of here. He staggers to his feet, Jack staying close just in case but letting him find his balance by himself. His hand brushes the wall, just enough to steady him and remind his brain which way is up. Now that he looks again the room isn’t as bare as he thought it was, there’s some kind of air vent up high on one wall and an outlet in the corner. And although he’s clearly been searched, they didn’t find the paper clip he always has hidden on him. His mind starts sluggishly searching through the options.

Jack paces the room, keeping up a familiar monologue of disparaging comments about their accommodations and their captors parentage. Its entirely unhelpful and absolutely what Mac needs right now.

“I’ve got an idea.” Mac says.

“Really?” Jack answers with a surprising amount of scepticism, Mac throws a glare at him and Jack shrugs. “That’s your ‘I’m gonna puke’ face, not your ‘I have an idea’ face.”

Mac raises a shoulder in a shrug as well.

“That might also happen.” He admits, suppressing a smile when Jack backs away a few inches, before he ungracefully kneels and starts using the paper clip to take the cover off the outlet.

* * *

Once Mac gets the door open, they’re barely halfway down the corridor when there’s a commotion of boots and shouting and before they can find somewhere to hide, black clad soldiers round the corner. Front and centre of the tac team is a familiar face.

_Jack._

It stops Mac in his tracks and the lack of forward momentum causes him to stumble into the wall, Jack’s hands are on his shoulders a second later stopping him from falling entirely.

“Hey, hoss.”

Mac doesn’t answer, but looks behind him. Jack’s also standing there, smiling gently. He turns back to the Jack kitted out in tac gear.

Jack’s frowning, “You okay, bud?”

Mac nods and looks back again, but this time the corridor is empty. He feels nauseous and leans into Jack a bit more.

“Damn, what did they give you?” Jack asks as he studies Mac, trying to get a look at his eyes. Mac clings to Jack, pretending its for balance but mostly its for the tactile reassurance, now that he thinks about it, the other Jack hadn’t touched him once in their prison cell. But how can he really know escaping isn’t a hallucination? Is it just wishful thinking? Mac focuses on Jack, the warmth of his hand and the roughness of the tac vest and makes the decision that this Jack is real, and not a hallucination. Taking a deep breath, he pushes away the doubt.

Jack is real.

“Take me home, Jack?” He says, wishing it hadn’t come out like a question.

“Of course.” Jack says, and when Mac meets his eyes he sees an understanding there that could never be expressed in words. Slowly, Jack starts manoeuvring them back down the corridor, never once breaking contact with Mac. “Once we stop off at medical first, but I gotta warn ya, you scared us this time, Mac. You’re going to have to put up with a little extra helicopter parenting for a while and not to mention some A-grade hovering from the others, did they feed you at all? Because Boze has about a week’s worth of baking...”

Mac lets Jack’s rambling wash over him.

Jack is real.

And he’s going home.


	9. Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And finally, a flash fic, thanks to @anguishmacgyver and inspired by art from @kaciart found [here](https://kaciart.tumblr.com/post/161594688183). A little H/C, heavier on the hurt this time and references non-graphic torture.

Mac lies on the floor, in the same position as when they dumped him back in here. The cold concrete is hard and unforgiving and it saps his body heat away which is probably a good thing as he’s pretty sure he’s developing a fever. The blood that streaks across his face from his nose down to his ear itches as it dries but he doesn’t bother to wipe it away. An itch is nothing to the pain of moving.

Four days.

At least he thinks its four days. He’s lost some time along the way. Mostly through unconsciousness, they rarely let him sleep for long, so he can’t be sure. But its been too long. That much he does know.

Jack wouldn’t have left him here for an hour, let alone four days. Mac knows rescues take some time. Putting a team together, gathering the intel, waiting for the right moment to strike. It takes longer than an hour, but it shouldn’t take four days and counting. Not when Jack knew where they were taking him.

Something is wrong.

Jack would move heaven and hell to get to Mac so it can only mean Jack’s not coming. Mac doesn’t take the time to examine that thought too closely. He can’t. Not if he wants to hold onto some kind of hope. And he doesn’t have much of that left. His last two escape attempts ended badly. Painfully. He’s not sure he has it in him to try a third time.

He holds himself still, and focuses on his breathing. Slow and calm. In and out. Keeping his breaths steady but shallow. He blinks blearily, staring at the strange damp stain on the ceiling as he zones out. He tries to forget the deep ache that’s permeated to his bones, the sharp pain in his abdomen, the stabbing pain that comes with a deep breath. Everything hurts and he imagines boxing up the pain and pushing it to a corner of his mind. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it just means he can endure for longer.

He can hear boots in the corridor coming his way and wonders what they’re going to bruise and break this time. But he doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch when the door bangs open against the wall. Maybe they’ll think he’s too far gone to drag him out for their fun and games.

No such luck.

Mac doesn’t resist the hands that roughly haul him to his feet but his legs immediately collapse underneath him with the _fire_ that shoots through his nerve endings. He cries out with the pain and thinks he might have blacked out for a moment because suddenly he’s in That Room and he can see what they’re planning this time to get him to talk and he already hurts _so bad._

He panics, breathing short and sharp and too fast-- _too fast, slow it down, hoss--_ as he tugs futilely at the hands that are basically holding him up at this point. He can’t. He can’t. He _can’t._

“ _Mac!”_

That can’t be right. They shouldn’t even know his real name.

“ _Mac!”_

Mac lurches upright, choking on his own breath. He’s hot and sweaty and he doesn’t know where he is as he pants, feeling like he can’t breathe even as he’s aware that he’s hyperventilating.

“You’re okay! You’re alright! You’re not there!”

_Jack._

And as suddenly as a light being switched on, Mac knows he’s at home. In his bed. And Jack is there. Like Jack is always there when his memories terrorise him at night.

He tips forward and all but crushes Jack to his chest, as Jack’s arms come up to wrap around him protectively. He’s careful of Mac’s healing wounds, even after all these weeks, but Mac doesn’t care if it hurts, he just needs to know he’s not _there._

“You weren’t there.” He whispers. “You weren’t there.” He can’t stop the words escaping even as he hates himself for the guilt they’ll cause Jack.

“I know, pal. And I am so, so sorry.” Jack says brokenly and hugs Mac a little tighter.

“Not your fault.” Mac says.

Concussions and bureaucracy and politics were to blame. It can take time to put together a tac team, it takes even longer to put together an off-the-books black ops team.

“I should have been there.”

“You were there when it mattered.” Mac reassures him. “You’re here now.”

He feels Jack nod against his shoulder and his hand comes up to cradle the back of Mac’s head.

“For as long as you need me.”


End file.
